Grain-heating apparatus.



' E. J. MACHEMER.

GRAIN HEATING AiPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1914.

nnw 1 9 1 )T 6H my Jm d s m .w a D1 Z IN IVTOH Q JZMQ ATTORNEY I he E. J. MACHEMER.

GRAIN HEATING APPARATUS.

@PPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 19x4.

1 1 85,694. Patented June 6; 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEY TE AES- ATEN O EDWARD J'. MACHEMER, OIE SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOIt 0F ONE-HALF T0 ALBERT B. CHAPMAN, OF SILVER. CREEK, NEW YORK.

GRAIN-HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed November 16, 1914:. Serial No. 872,359.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD J. MACI-IEMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Silver Creek, county of Chautauqua, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for heating grain, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for the continuous and uniform heating of grain under varying volume and varying conditions of material to be treated.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for heating grain previous to grinding which will produce a constant and uniform temperature whether the apparatus is operated at maximum or minimum capacity and which may be regulated to produce the desired temperature with grains of different conditions of dryness or hardness. 7

Other objects and attainments of my invention will be evident from the following specifications and claims.

As is well known, in grinding or milling grain it is the present practice to temper the grain before submitting the same to the grinding and other milling processesby the application of heat; but the various apparatus heretofore employed has been unsatisfactory for reasons which need not be here enumerated further than to say that it has not been possible with such apparatus to secure a uniform temper either with a considerable varlation in volume treated in a given period of time or with grains possessing large differences in condition previous to treatment. To overcome these difiiculties and to attain other ends I have invented the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section. Fig. 2 is a left-hand end elevation.

The main body of the apparatus consists of a horizontal cylindrical steam-chamber these heads aretubes a, arranged preferably Secured to gearing. The hopper c has an opening at r the bottom, shown at 7, which serves as means :for cleaning out the hopper and which is ordinarily closed.

Secured to the discharge end of the chamher is a discharge chute e, the outer face of which is a plate '0 provided with bearings for the worm-shafts b. Upon the top of this chute is a door or lid f which permits inspection of the interior.

Steam is supplied to the steam chamber from a main m, which, through T-connections and valves Z, one valve being connected with a pipe 2 and an elbow y to carry steam into one side, and the other valve Z connecting with pipe j, T 70, pipe 00, elbow y and union 0 to carry steam into the other side. The two points of admission, as shown in Fig. 1, are near the receiving end and oppositely positioned as shown in Fig. 2; and by means of the two valves Z, one in each branch, the heating of the tubes may be properly regulated. To one branch of this steam connection is attached a steam-gage A, by means of a pipe C provided with a valve B, by means of which the degree of steam pressure may be known.

The steam-chamber is provided with a discharge a, which may be provided with any desired form ofregulation for controlling the steam pressure, and upon the lower side of the steam-chamber is a vent 0 for drawing off the water of condensation, which is, of course, provided with a valve.

Concentric with the tubes or and having their bearings in the plates 1' and 'v are worm-shafts b, which are provided with worms, which are rightor left-hand ac cording to the direction of rotation as hereafter described, which convey the grain from the hopper 6 through the tubes (2 and discharge it into the chute e. The shafts b have thrust-rings w upon their far ends (or they may be provided with thrust-bearings) to hold the shafts from aXial movement in conveying the grain forward.

The worm-shafts Z) are rotated in the following manner: Each of said shafts has rigidly mounted upon it outside the hopper a a spur-gear (Z. The positioning of the tubes a and the consequent positioning of the worm-shafts is such that these gears d are in mesh by concentric groups except at one point in each grouppreferably having the break in the vertical plane in which the spur-gears 0 lie. But the spacing between the several concentric groups is suflioiently greater so that the gears cl of one group rotate clear of those of the adjacent group or groups. Upon one shaft of each grou preferably the shafts lying in vertical plane, is rigidly mounted a spur-gear 0. These gears are outside of the plane common to the gears (Z, and are of such diameter as to mesh, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Power is applied to any one of the shafts carrying the gears o, and in this manner right-and-left rotary movement is communicated to all of the worm-shafts. And it will be seen that, with this form of driving, the worms must be alternately rightand left-hand worms to cause common movement of the grain in one direction. It will be understood that this particular arrangement or grouping of the shafts and cooperating parts may be varied, but this form is considered by me to be the best arrangement and has proved practically successful; but I do not wish to limit my invention specifically thereto.

In order to regulate the speed in rotation of the conveyers and thereby regulate the speed of travel of the grain through the tubes (1, I provide the shaft 6 which serves to drive the gears 0 with an extension 5 upon which is mounted a variable-speed pulley D. This is a typical method of attaining regulation of speed in rotation, but any other known form of variable speed mechanism may be used.

While the operation may readily be un-' derstood from the above description, it is specifically as follows: Steam being admitted to the steam-chamber from the main m through the valves Z, and grain being discharged in any desired manner into the hopper 0, the worms are set in motion by the application of power as above described. It will be seen that the worm-Wings extend part way into the hopper area and thus insure the forcing of the grain into the tubes 0;. The grain is turned, baffled and heated as it is moved along through the tubes by the worms and, the degree of heat being properly adjusted and the speed of the worms being regulated the grain is properly heated by the time it reaches the discharge chute c.

While it is now evident that the degree of heat may be regulated by steam pressure or speed of rotation of the worms, or both, a most important feature of my invention lies in the fact that the means shown will secure continuous and even heating whether the apparatus is operating at maximum or minimum capacity, that is to say: It is evident that when the hopper e is kept full so that all of the worms are carrying full load, the heating will be uniform. But it is also true that the heating will be uniform even if the volume of grain discharged into the hopper is sufficient to supply merely one or more worms. The speed being maintained uniform and the temperature remaining uniform, the heating will be the same whether one or more or all of the worms are in operation.

I have described my invention as employing steam. It may be operated with any heated fluid, such as heated water or heated air, without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. A grain heating apparatus comprising a horizontal cylindrical steam-chamber having concentric groups of tubes extending therethrough, a steam supply for heating said chamber and said tubes, worms in said tubes comprising a main pipe connected to two branch. pipes which enter the sides of said chamber oppositely and hand-valves in said branch pipes, gearing connecting said worms in rotation and a variable speed drive for the same.

2. A grain heating apparatus comprising a horizontal cylindrical steam-chamber having. concentric groups of tubes extending therethrough, a steam supply for heating said chamber and said tubes, a valve and vent for regulating the temperature of said tubes, worms in said tubes, gearing connecting all of the worms of each group in rotation, gearing connecting the several concentric groups to a single variable-speed drive for driving all of said worms and for regulating their speed.

3. A grain heating apparatus comprising a horizontal steam-chamber and a plurality of tubes extending therethrough which lie in different horizontal planes, means for heating said tubes, worms for forcing grain through said tubes and means for driving the same at a common speed and a hopper at one end of said tubes for delivering grain thereto, whereby the grain may be delivered in varying volumes and be fed through said tubesand heated to a predetermined degree for all volumes.

EDWARD J. MACHEMER. Witnesses:

D. H. HARPER, N. L. Coon.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 8. 

